Quotes of the day
posted at 10:30 pm on May 18, 2009 by Allahpundit
“This is a no-brainer,” Steele told FOX News. “I’m a student of multiplication and addition, and not subtraction and division. My focus is on building a party that reaches across the board.”
Steele ripped into conservatives who want moderates purged from the GOP and rejected former Vice President Dick Cheney’s assertion that in terms of being a Republican, he’d go with Rush Limbaugh over former Secretary of State Colin Powell — who endorsed candidate Barack Obama for president.
“I want a party that speaks to people. The idea that we only narrowly speak to one segment of the population is boneheaded and it’s not reflective of the history of this party,” Steele said. “How is kicking Colin Powell out or kicking Dick Cheney out or Rush Limbaugh in going to feed a child who’s hungry tonight?”
***
First, the Republican Party will be forward-looking – it is time to stop looking backward. Republicans have spent ample time re-examining the past. It has been a healthy and necessary task. But I believe it is now time for Republicans to focus all of our energies on winning the future by emerging as the party of new ideas. Republicans are emerging once again with the energy, the focus, and the determination to turn our timeless principles into new solutions for the future.
Blowback
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I can hear millions of voices raised as one to ask that pentrating, all-important question: “who?”
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Yes, there is. People say: hey, we’re a party of Rush, not a party of Colin. Again, if you talk about the underlying beliefs, I’m myself much closer to Rush. However, it’s bad PR to become personal, particularly when your message is “kick him out”.
You want to make sure the party stays true to conservative principles? Fine. Formulate them keeping in mind 51% of population, and stick to them. And if somebody asks you about ANYBODY, respond: He’s a great guy, I’m sure he would love lower taxes.
I think what people object is not the principles but the personal witch hunt and party cleansing.
radiofreevillage on May 19, 2009 at 12:22 AM
Grow Fins:
Only if he matures like HELL.
I’ve had the acute displeasure of reading his book.
If I wanted to read generic Hallmark slogans packed into a book, I’d check out half the “modern assessments” of Che, Castro, or Ho Chi Mihn.
That, I will leave to others.
Turtler on May 19, 2009 at 12:22 AM
How is it that people like Steele keep forgetting that the Republican party put up the most middle of the road candidate in decades and even that wasn’t good enough for Colin Powell? How does Powell campaign for an extreme liberal Democrat like Obama and expect to be taken seriously as a republican?
Powell abdicated any Republican credibility when he endorsed Obama. And what does Powell have to say now that Obama is taking us to a nine trillion dollar debt? Powell claimed to have turned against the Republicans because the party was too mean spirited. Where was Powell when Democrats were calling George Bush a liar, a murderer and comparing him to Hitler?
(and lets not even get into his duplicity in the Valerie Plame scandal.)
Powell is a self-important fraud who cannot be trusted. Get over him and move on. Republicans are far better off without a Powell ready to stab them in the back in a moment of petty pique.
Mr A on May 19, 2009 at 12:23 AM
Excellent.
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 12:24 AM
I remember when Norm Coleman was considered a RINO due to his social liberalness. 6 years later we were hoping he would win and stop a nutjob from becoming Minnesota’s Senator. As long as someone is 51% conservative, I want them in the Party.
Speedwagon82 on May 19, 2009 at 12:26 AM
hmmmm … which of the above “could” feed the child? Well, Colin could …, and might think about it, but he would wait for a thief (government) to take everyone else’s money and bring the child’s daddy a check from the thief. Sounds to me like Steele is of the same quality.
The other two would teach daddy how to fish and provide food for his family AND while they were all eating, would teach them how to recognize and defeat the thief (with half their brains tied behind their backs, of course).
AZ_Redneck on May 19, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Heh you are probably right on that one.
However his summa is a pretty interesting read. My Brother has a 200 year old copy, written in Latin, if you want to borrow it.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 12:29 AM
When are these RINO’s going to figure out that it isn’t conservatism that is the problem? It is the republicans who talk like conservatives and act like democrats that has damaged the party. The culprits include….
Chimpy
the fiscally corrupt republican members of congress
McShamnesty
Grahmnesty
Crist
Rodrigues
etc, etc, etc
These people are not moderates…they are traitors to conservatism.
csdeven on May 19, 2009 at 12:29 AM
which parts? pro-choice/life, hetero/homo-sexual, limited/expansive government …
heh … sounds like you picked the fastest path to the bottom.
AZ_Redneck on May 19, 2009 at 12:29 AM
I agree. Especially when it means defeating that pr** Al Franken. Unfortunately, Franken is probably the winner. Here’s to hoping he has only one term. That is going to be a looooooong 6 years.
NathanG on May 19, 2009 at 12:31 AM
They won’t. They have no understanding of history or simply what constitutes limited government.
RINO is just socialist with an “R” in front.
AZ_Redneck on May 19, 2009 at 12:32 AM
Do you not realize that the party of Colin is the party of Obama, whom Powell publicly endorsed? If Rush and Obama are to be in the same party, we’ll need a new party if there are to be two.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 12:32 AM
Here’s to hoping that his kidneys fail.
progressoverpeace on May 19, 2009 at 12:32 AM
Already have his works, thanks.
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM
FIFM.
AZ_Redneck on May 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM
I figured you did.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 12:34 AM
I, too, helped Steele’s run for Senator from MD and I live in OK. But that’s the last time I will give anything to Steele or the RNC. Stopped supporting the RNC around 2003 when they had all the votes but deserted and criticized the base. I chalked it up then to fear of the liberal press, but now I’m more concerned that they really ARE Democrat lites. So for the first time in 50 years, the Repubs had all the votes they needed and left us high and dry. To me, that doomed the party. I support conservative candidates with my dollars, but I will never support RINO’s with contributions to the RNC. And in spite of the initial losses in forming a third party, I would become a member of the Constitution Party whose platform is the Republican platform, but whose leaders stand up for it.
Christian Conservative on May 19, 2009 at 12:36 AM
Steele appears to be a very different person from the one MKH interviewed when he was running for governor.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Heh. But I had to read STA and all the other works which make up the foundation of our culture for myself. I didn’t even know they existed until I was in the AF and a dealer was selling encyclopedia, dictionaries, a huge Bible and the Great Books around twenty years ago. Great Books? I asked. What the heck are those? I had read none of them. Not even Shakespeare.
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 12:39 AM
The Dems have had control of the purse strings since 2006. The GOP gets blamed for their spending. Bush didn’t veto. Okay. But they were never going to turn in lean budgets, anyway. The government would have had to be shut down, and the Bush admin was defending itself over that idiotic Plame fiasco (thanks Powell, you azzwipe), along with taking a huge gamble on tactics in Iraq. And the GOP got blamed for their budgets (as proven in the Zeigler poll that showed that most Americans thought that the GOP still held Congress – most voters for Il Douche, at least). All the time the left was working to undermine the administration from every angle possible, and being very effective from several.
What killed the GOP, in my mind, was one major issue (along with the scandals, which were front page forever, but are minor compared to what the Dems have been doing) and that was SHAMNESTY!!! That was it, in my mind. It demoralized the base. Broke the right in two. Killed fundraising. Caused people to switch out of the GOP (long before operation chaos). It was a nuclear bomb. The only time the Dems touched it (and got associated with it) was in the debate where Shrillary supported Spitzer’s driver’s licenses for illegals and that was the end of her, with Spitzer’s numbers taking a sudden drop, too.
To me, that was the one issue that really killed the GOP – Shamnesty – and still lurks in the background over this whole schism. It killed all trust. I don’t trust McShame as far as I can throw the guy, and that feeling leeched from the shamnesty episode to everything else.
(Powell, of course, is not part of this schism. He stabbed all in the back during the Plame fiasco and then showed the knife by supporting, and shilling for, the idiot messiah.)
Anyway, that’s how I really see this whole thing.
progressoverpeace on May 19, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Steele threatened to quit if he didn’t get his way….SO QUIT ALREADY! Take Snowe, Grahamnesty, Collins, McCain and ther rest of the RINOs with you.
Either the RINOs go, or the Conservative voters go, which way do you want it?
As for me, I’m DONE with the GOP.
nelsonknows on May 19, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Most people today think the Great Books include the writings of Joan Collins and Judy Blume.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 12:46 AM
Although it is pretty simple to figure out the RINOs just don’t get it. 2008 was the straw that broke the Elephant’s back. It is all about deeds now. We conservatives are done with pretty words. We want knuckles. Deeds. No deeds, no votes. No deeds, no money. No deeds, no power. The RINOs better learn quick. The 2010 campaign season is just three months away.
Limerick on May 19, 2009 at 12:48 AM
While I agree with you, I am not optimistic that the Republican leadership will get that.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 12:53 AM
This does make sense. A party which claimed to stand for the Rule of Law threw that concept right out of the window in order to “win.” But when you compromise one core principle, all the others are eligible for the auction block.
I can hear millions of voices raised as one to ask that other pentrating, all-important question: “who needs principles?”
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 12:53 AM
Just us stooopid folks. Everyone else seems to play by the ‘if you can’t buy it you can rent it’ rule.
Limerick on May 19, 2009 at 12:56 AM
I think Shamnesty was one strike…
But another were the scandals, which were in the Press for a lonnnngggg time…
And another was growing the Government….
Three strikes? Your out!
Romeo13 on May 19, 2009 at 12:58 AM
I back Chairman Steele 100%. Gotta grow the GOP…Get more agressive and go after all demographics. Parties evolve, Republicans are in that process, IMO…
1) fiscal 2) foreign 3) social
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:08 AM
It was Shamnesty, loss of principles, spending like drunken sailors, and to a lesser extent the scandals, which drove me away from the party.
Sad to say the RNC’s solution is to do more of the same.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 1:08 AM
People need to get off Chairman Steele’s nuts. He’s trying to clean up a terrible mess the Bushies have left us in.
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:18 AM
The best part was when steele cited Christine “It’s My Party, Too” Todd Whitman as an example of the gop’s big tent.
benny shakar on May 19, 2009 at 1:20 AM
At what cost?
-President Obama CIA speech 04/2009
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 1:22 AM
That’s interesting, I consider them both to be in the same wing of the party.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 1:23 AM
Not a chance. Bush was socially conservative, and a wreck on everything else.
Steele criticized him plenty. Rove even stopped him from becoming RNC Chair.
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:26 AM
Mr. Steele,
I have a question for you, if you have a minute.
How do you stand with Sarah at Evansville and stand with ‘The BAIPA Won’ at Notre Dame?
btw: that’s not the first time.
I was looking for a leader with principles.
Never Again!
Blacksmith8 on May 19, 2009 at 1:26 AM
Just get rid of all of them. There needs to be a new party, with none of these idiots included.
Riposte on May 19, 2009 at 1:28 AM
Now is the time to dump Steele. Yes, the libs will use it as an opportunity to racially bash Republican, but all party chairmen get dumped at some point so unless you plan on Steele to be chairman for life, there is no politically better time than right now to dump him. No elections for a year and a half and 3.5 years away from the prez election.
Expect in the near future for a lot of liberal pollsters’ polls to look really peachy for Republicans so as to protect Steele’s job.
Buddahpundit on May 19, 2009 at 1:31 AM
Dump him for what? Speaking the truth about anti Mormonism? Not initially kissing Rush’s ass? Acknowledging you can’t win elections with only one wing of the party? Come on..
The times they are a changin’
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:38 AM
Principles are not things formulated by a calculus of popularity. Those would be talking points.
Principles are deeply held beliefs, not parts of an equation to be swapped, moderated, or forgotten for the sake of political expedience.
hillbillyjim on May 19, 2009 at 1:42 AM
That sounds like something a Democrat would say. Always trying to play the sob story card by blaming opponents for being against children, or something. I hate that kinda crap. If you wanna go that route, we can say, how is supporting abortion as a Republican gonna not get babies killed? Just sayin’.
CP on May 19, 2009 at 1:50 AM
I guess you can fit a lot of donkeys in the “Big Tent”.
How about some actual elephants?
As for Powell, a despicable Dim who cross-dresses as a Republican: instead of just mildly kicking him out of the Party, let’s put him on a kicking tee and get Tom Dempsey to boot him through the uprights.
TexasJew on May 19, 2009 at 1:50 AM
Chairman Steele,
You really need to study history and research the Republican Party.
Its inception arose from the anti-slavery movement, and the first elected Republican Party president was Lincoln, who freed the slaves, which led to the civil war.
The Republican Party since its inception has been about values/ideals not “unity” like you suggest.
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 1:50 AM
They both support big government so they’re both part of the same wing, from my perspective.
And Steele has said lots of different things to different people depending on his audience. That’s part of the problem.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 1:52 AM
Right. Ask the Whigs.
baldilocks on May 19, 2009 at 1:52 AM
And it was the way they did it. They tried to sneak it all past. And then they tried to ram it through. There was no sense to it, at all. They refused to listen about the border (which was really only a minor part, as people can overstay visas by the millions with no problem). But they ignored it, intentionally, anyway.
Never in my life, did I feel that my federal government was out of control and working at odds with, what I consider to be, the very foundations of our nation, for some insane reason. At least I understand the reasons of the leftist lunatics (well, they don’t have “reasons”, but I understand the emotions that motivate their idiotic ideas). Back in the Shamnesty, it was just directionless. They couldn’t even argue their position, except to take a page from the leftists and just pull the race/ethnic card (out of nowhere) and babble on incoherently.
I remember them saying how they would pass it, no matter what anyone thought. They were really only stopped by some clever amendments. They didn’t give a damn about the calls. They woud have passed it right through, otherwise. We got lucky. But, trust never recovers from that. Not in my world. And then we got McCain, because he didn’t have the decency, or dignity, to step aside from the primary after his legistlation had caused such damage to the party and so inflamed the base (so much that his own mother said that we would have to hold our noses and vote for him, which I did) and it was all over.
The scandals, as everyone has mentioned, were definitely a killer virus around the elections. And the way the press ginned them up and made them up when necessary. George Allen, who’s a very likeable guy and a smart guy, lost because of “Macaca”, and it’s not even a friggin’ word! I mean, that was really like a magical power, to turn an utterance of “Macaca” into a US Senate seat. I’m still stunned.
Anyway, didn’t mean to ramble on.
progressoverpeace on May 19, 2009 at 1:54 AM
All this is nonsense.
When Obama tanks our currency, and everything hits the fan, I don’t think that we will be worrying about how to be nice to the socialist Dims.
It’ll be a knife fight.
TexasJew on May 19, 2009 at 1:54 AM
The Republican Party of the 70′s is different than the one of the 80′s, which is different one of the 90′s…which is different than that of 00′s…
People need to calm down. The party is changing. It has to. It needs to.
As long as Chairman Steele is raising money and recruiting good candidates all the calls for him to step down are pretty silly, IMO…
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:55 AM
Good move by Steele on not calling the Democrats the “Socialist Democratic Party”. Who are these idiots at the RNC coming up with silly ideas like that?
Steele is a leader. He should make the GOP case with class. Not with namecalling…As he said on Meet the Press.
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:58 AM
Maybe the party’s members have become so economically and politically illiterate that they’re reduced to talking about personalities instead of regime issues. It seems it would be advantageous if all the prominent Republicans just shut up for a couple of weeks, went off, and read the Federalist Papers and–God help us–the Constitution of the United States itself.
Kralizec on May 19, 2009 at 2:01 AM
and alienating the core base of the party is not a problem how?
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 2:05 AM
as Baldilocks said…
F15Mech on May 19, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Your moniker is a misnomer.
Please explain why we need two authoritarian statist parties, both racing to the left. Any when did freedom and liberty expire?
The party may have changed over time, for the better under Reagan and then the worse after, but our nations principles are timeless. People like you would have us abandon them in favor of fleeting political expediency.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 2:08 AM
Once again I have to be amused at many of the choices of screen names here at hot air. Why do so many choose one which their own words prove that they patently are NOT what their nom de plume suggests?
LegendHasIt on May 19, 2009 at 2:09 AM
Dang, you beat me to it AGAIN.
I gotta learn to type with more than one finger.
LegendHasIt on May 19, 2009 at 2:11 AM
” Tom Dempsey to boot him through the uprights.”
u are SO dating yerself …
:-)
Buckaroo on May 19, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Maybe we’ll have to start calling him TheRightWingerInNameOnly, or RWINO.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 2:16 AM
Or just:
WINO?
;-)
LegendHasIt on May 19, 2009 at 2:18 AM
That would be easier to pronounce. :)
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 2:20 AM
On a brighter note, the gop’s “hiphop transformation” really seems to be catching on.
benny shakar on May 19, 2009 at 2:22 AM
Agreed with the first part. I didn’t state what I meant carefully enough. However, I know political expediency has a negative connotation. But don’t forget. You need 51% of the vote. I’m all for listening to people who say: let’s be principled and we’ll get it. At least those people understand what’s at stake.
However, it’s the people who are like: I’d rather 20 pure conservatives in the Senate than pollute the party with RINO’s who concern me. You can be all pure and in the meantime health care will be nationalized because your 20 votes don’t mean anything.
radiofreevillage on May 19, 2009 at 2:39 AM
This man is beyond stupid, he’s moving to imbecilic levels.
“But Steele is not backing down. In fact, he’s bracing for an even bigger battle — with some conservatives wanting to pass a bylaw limiting the chairman’s control over RNC money.”
Good, let’s see who steps up and takes him on, that will be the conservative leader we should get behind.
Joe Pyne on May 19, 2009 at 2:55 AM
The available pool of voters is not static. There are plenty of people eligible to vote in every election that don’t for various reasons, including that the Republican party doesn’t represent them any better, (or not much better), than the Democrat party. If it did, they’d be more likely to vote than squishy moderates that don’t have much interest in politics. Even if there are more moderates overall, moving to the right may actually pay bigger dividends.
And political winds change, so while some Republicans may have been convinced that the founding principles of our nation and/or capitalism are quint, old fashioned notions, because that’s the impression they get from the MSM or polls, then when the winds change and the electorate rebels against failed statist policies implemented by, in this case the Democrat and Republican parties, who will be their to capitalize on their failure? In the past it would’ve been the Republicans, such as after Carter, but next time the only alternative will be another POS statist party that suffers from the same disease, if the Steele’s and Frum’s have their way.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 2:59 AM
Who is this? getalife? Yoo Hoo getalife we can see you………
This dude is a Democratic plant, no question about it.
Joe Pyne on May 19, 2009 at 2:59 AM
Of course I understand that all of the principles in the world won’t help if we cannot win elections; however, if our principles are abandoned or watered down into something unrecognizable in the pursuit of victory, then the winning of the elections will be for naught as the things we we were fighting for will be by the wayside.
Compromise is necessary in politics but core principles must remain intact for success to be worth pursuing.
hillbillyjim on May 19, 2009 at 3:10 AM
therightringer?
hillbillyjim on May 19, 2009 at 3:14 AM
To correct my statement above: Republican’s like Steele and Frum have moved beyond appealing to “moderates” and are trying to recruit leftists. In the QOTD, Steele indicated that everybody is welcome in the party.
As somebody mentioned above, by continuing to chase the Democrats to the left, the race is now to the left, and the Democrats had a head start and are in the lead, for now.
The only reason that the Democrat Socialist Party isn’t seen as the extremists that they’ve become is because the anchor that used to be the Republican party has moved right along with them. There’s very little contrast.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 3:25 AM
First, they would have to understand what they read and then live by it.
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:27 AM
The only reason that the Democrat Socialist Party isn’t seen as the extremists that they’ve become is because the anchor that used to be the Republican party has moved
rightleft along with them. There’s very little contrast.FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 3:25 AM
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:29 AM
Goddamn. This idiot doesn’t get it.
It’s not that moderates need to be purged from the GOP. It’s that the GOP needs to make moderates understand that there are differences between core conservative GOP’ers and moderates, but the alliance should be built on the common beliefs and interests.
For instance, myself. I am against abortion, however because the unborn is in the body of a woman who is a sovereign human being, she has the right to decide whether to carry it or not. Because I believe this many will call it riding the fence and would want me ejected from the GOP if I were even a member, which I am not, regardless of the fact that I am a staunch fiscal conservative as well as being very conservative in other areas.
The HUMUNGOUS difference between me and a twat like Meghan McCain is that I don’t want the PARTY to change, I will side with the GOP -= IF =- they profess a true belief in fiscal conservatism, small government, individual freedom and personal responsibility. Meghan thinks those things should be dumped just to win an election.
So does Steele apparently. So screw Steele. He needs to get this through his thick bald skull….there is more than just the Dems and Repubs to vote for, and if he doesn’t push the GOP to outline their core beliefs and start standing by them, he’s going to lose people like me, and there are a lot of them.
Define what you are and have the integrity to stick to it, people will come because you do what you say, unlike the democraps and the glaringly obvious example of obama the waffle clown.
Get a grip Steele. Right now you’re looking too much like McCain, and that ain’t a compliment.
Spiritk9 on May 19, 2009 at 3:32 AM
I meant “right” as in “in unison”, but your fix is better anyway.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 3:34 AM
Yeah, I know it, but guys like me can’t leave well enough alone.
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:39 AM
In related news, Steele resisted calls to remove PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk from the board of KFC.
“The idea that we only narrowly speak to people who are not fanatically opposed to our existence is boneheaded,” Steele said. “How is kicking PETA out going to feed a child who’s hungry tonight?”
el gordo on May 19, 2009 at 3:46 AM
When I turned twenty one and was about to vote, my father ask me this question; would you rather vote for a man who had stolen one chicken or a dozen chickens.
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:46 AM
That took some thought.
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:49 AM
I used to consider myself a moderate, leaning toward conservative, until I came to HotAir and found myself to the right of many here, but although I now generally call myself conservative, I’m still moderate in some respects.
Although I advocate for a conservative Republican party, many conservatives probably don’t share my vision in every detail, and it’s possible that I won’t feel much, (if any), more at home in the new party as in the present.
But I would much rather have a party to my left and a party to my right, as it was in the past, than two parties racing to my left. In this way at least the voters can mix and match to form a balanced government, and if one party makes a mistake there would be a clear alternative to make a correction.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2009 at 3:58 AM
I am of course not opposed to “reaching out to independents” and I have often been annoyed by the perpetual cries of “RINO! RINO!”.
But if Steele seems visibly uncomfortable defending the record and key personalities of the Republican party, then he is not the right spokesman. If he seems to apologize for the last Republican adminsitration and long discussed and agreed upon positions, he is not the right spokesman.
Agreeing with whoever sits across you and letting others frame the issues is at the very least unprofessional. If you´re not able to influence the direction of a debate you should not be on television speaking for any group, party or corporation.
el gordo on May 19, 2009 at 3:59 AM
“How is kicking Colin Powell out or kicking Dick Cheney out or Rush Limbaugh in going to feed a child who’s hungry tonight?”
You mean all those hideously fat kids who get free food via WIC? I guess they ran out of Nacho Cheese Doritos by 11 PM.
And how is having a second-rate race-token clown as Party leader going to save our entire nation from economic and political destruction?
Lots of questions to answer here..
TexasJew on May 19, 2009 at 4:27 AM
As long as Chairman Steele is raising money and recruiting good candidates all the calls for him to step down are pretty silly, IMO…
therightwinger on May 19, 2009 at 1:55 AM
Good candidates like Meghan McCain.
Real genius analysis, there, “rightwinger” (sic)
TexasJew on May 19, 2009 at 4:35 AM
el gordo on May 19, 2009 at 3:59 AM
I didn’t notice Terry McCauliff apologizing for Bill Clinton using Federal employees as Trojan-enz, or getting serviced while talking on a secure phone line.
The Dims are not that stupid – they know how important a job a Party Chairman has.
Maybe we should get a Republican Chairman who has some kind of vague idea of what the Party actually stands for. Steele is either purposefully dense or just stupid. He got that job for the worst possible reason – his skin color. You can’t tell me that he was the most qualified person for that job. No way in hell… Hasn’t Obama’s election taught us anything? Unqualified race candidates are always a disaster, as any unqualified candidate would be.
Moreover, did anyone think to ask Steele who the hell he voted for last year? I’m not 100% sure we’d like an honest answer to that loaded question.
TexasJew on May 19, 2009 at 4:47 AM
LOL — trojan enz!!
Ridic!
blatantblue on May 19, 2009 at 5:08 AM
FWIW, Steele stood in elections and convinced voters of his worthiness. If it were only skin color, there was Ken Blackwell too of the same color but he didn’t go anywhere. What’s interesting is that Blackwell is much more conservative than Steele but he couldn’t prevail in the election which tells me that conservatives should first win elections than keep moaning about injustices of the world.
promachus on May 19, 2009 at 6:49 AM
Now more than ever I see that this frelling idiot needs THE BOOT.
Colin Powell is a democrat, not a moderate. We need to put up some real leadership in the party and get these assclowns out.
dogsoldier on May 19, 2009 at 7:04 AM
There is nothing wrong with looking back at the past – there is valuable things to learn. Further, if the GOP is supposed to be the party of ideas, why doesn’t Steele seem to have any?
Upstater85 on May 19, 2009 at 7:06 AM
The goons that run the gop will never moderate. Rush won’t let them. Rush controls the movement of the party, along with the stringent litmus test of the party. Rush doesn’t care if the gop win elections, he makes his millions, and the ditto heads continue their worship of him. Can’t wait for the gop primary for senate in 2010 in Florida. Then the whole country will get an inside look of what the conservative movement has morphed into. Steele may want moderates in the party, but he is only a puppet on a string.
athensboy on May 19, 2009 at 7:14 AM
The above is while I will never be a democrat. That had zero original thought involved in any statement.
tomas on May 19, 2009 at 7:20 AM
“moderates” like Billy Ayers and Jerry Wright dominate your party greco-roman boy
sven10077 on May 19, 2009 at 7:23 AM
That would make Obama a tad left of center?
Upstater85 on May 19, 2009 at 7:25 AM
The dem leadership is as far left as we have had in my 40 year lifetime…Throw in the news and apathy and you get this “big tent” theory.
tomas on May 19, 2009 at 7:27 AM
Yeah, I’m a little confused about Big Tentism. Apparently the GOP is an endangered species that can’t attract anyone and the “far right” is so fringe that they have absolutely no influence. That said, 6 years ago, people were talking about the Democrats becoming obsolete. The D’s have found no problem mocking Joe the Plumbers and Beauty Queens and boosting funding for ACORN and other corrupt organizations, but it’s solely the Republicans that are practicing Small Tentism…
Upstater85 on May 19, 2009 at 7:30 AM
It’s pretty clear by now that Mike needs to be ousted and soon.
JohnBissell on May 19, 2009 at 7:33 AM
Yep.
2004 the Democrats were a national party no more, some said.
Now look.
If they can come back in four years like that, so can we.
blatantblue on May 19, 2009 at 7:34 AM
What two things don’t look like the other?
JellyToast on May 19, 2009 at 7:34 AM
All he is doing is stoking a fire for the third party movement. What a fool….when are the Republicans going to get a conservative leader??
Dr Bob on May 19, 2009 at 7:34 AM
If GOP kicks out the moderates and narrows its message it will eliminate any and all chances of having enough support to elect a president. So please please please do it.
Dave Rywall on May 19, 2009 at 7:34 AM
Who are these Republicans with the “kick-out” power that you are talking about? Further, of these Republicans, which ones have threatened to kick out anyone? Which one kicked out Specter?
Upstater85 on May 19, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Who are these Republicans with the “kick-out” power that you are talking about? Further, of these Republicans, which ones have threatened to kick out anyone? Which one kicked out Specter?
Upstater85 on May 19, 2009 at 7:37 AM
——–
Fine – let’s just stick with “narrow its message”.
That will seal your party’s fate for many elections to come. Angry moderates will start a new partycloser to the middle and you’ll split the vote and the Dems will laugh and laugh and laugh.
Dave Rywall on May 19, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Hey, Michael! Conservatives believe that feeding children is the proper role of the family and charitable organizations…not the state! With this statement you have shown yourself to be an ignoramous, a fool and a RINO tool of the left! Nice! A true believer in the nanny state and big government always there in every aspect of our lives…
Nice job RNC!!!
sabbott on May 19, 2009 at 7:48 AM
oh yeah Reagan was such a terrible example…with a 49 state landslide…:rolleyes:
right4life on May 19, 2009 at 7:52 AM
but the republicans don’t want to be the party of reagan, they never have liked conservatives…the country club set is firmly in charge…let them go the way of the whigs…they’re worse than useless….they have discredited conservatism by their socialist antics which they call ‘conservative’
the party has failed, hope they collapse.
right4life on May 19, 2009 at 7:53 AM
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